They Lived Their Lives in a Coffee Shop
by IShipAlmostAnythingYaoi
Summary: This table, this coffee shop, was the place they came to together every single day, the place they talked over a cup of black coffee and just enjoyed life. This place was a place of many firsts in their relationship and the place they came to every single day of their lives together. An Ereri fic told in the POV of Isabel Magnolia. Please R&R!


**Wow, I've been working on this for a few days now and I think it's my longest one-shot so far! I'm really freaking proud of how it came out. I've had the idea in my head for a while, and I thought it would be cool to do things a little differently.**

**I've been reading fanfiction for about four years now, and I've read over a thousand of them, but never have I ever read a fic about a ship that was told in the POV of a friend of the couple or some other random person.**

**So here's an Ereri fic written in the POV of Isabel Magnolia.**

**Oh, this contains minor and major character death!**

~~~KMD~~~

They met in the most terribly cliche way.

I watched from behind the counter as my big brother, Levi, typed away on his laptop. We weren't related by blood, but his parents adopted me when I was seven years old. Levi was tucked away into the corner of the shop, near the window. He was a writer, and a good one too. He made quite a lot of money from his short stories and poems.

He was never really interested in the money though, he donated most of it to charities, or bought really expensive gifts for me and the other people closest to him. We had tried to refuse, tried to tell him that it was his money for him to spend on himself, but he never listened.

He usually said, and I quote, _'It's my damn money and I'll spend it on what I want, and I want to spend it on you, because God knows none of you can take care of yourselves.'_ That statement was mostly aimed at his friends Hanji and Farlan and also me, since we weren't the best at keeping track of how much money we spent and how much we had left over.

There was a ringing sound, signalling that some one had entered the shop and I looked up with a genuine smile on my face.

It was a young looking man, couldn't have been a day over twenty. He had tanned skin and blue eyes, or were they green? I swear I could see bits of gold here and there. His hair was a chocolate brown and his fringe just barely reached his chin, the rest of his hair was tied into a neat little bun.

I knew immediately that this kid was something special.

Though the drink he ordered wasn't anything special, just a black coffee, to go. The drink was made quickly and swapped for the payment.

The man, Eren was his name, turned to leave and I noticed that a chair at Levi's table hadn't been tucked in properly, and one of the legs was sticking out in a dangerous way. Of course, Eren didn't notice and ended up tripping on the leg, the cup flew out of his hands, the lid came off and scorching hot black coffee landed all over Levi and his expensive suit... and his laptop.

I heard my brother cry out in surprise and saw the fury flash across his face as he jumped out of his seat. He opened his mouth, getting ready to yell angrily, but as soon as he saw Eren he froze.

The younger man was apologising profusely and offering to buy Levi a new laptop and suit, but he stopped when Levi just held up his hand.

"It's fine, kid." I heard him sigh, "I know someone who might be able to fix my laptop, and I didn't even like this suit anyway."

I practically grinned at the scene, if anyone else had spilled coffee on Levi's stuff, they'd most certainly be dead by now, but Eren was still breathing and apologising and insisting that Levi should take his money. Levi couldn't stay mad at some one as cute looking as Eren was.

I called out to the two, asking if they needed help with anything and if Eren wanted another coffee, free of charge. Levi just told me to get back to work and stop slacking off and I would've stayed listening to their conversation, but he was right, a few customers had entered the shop after the incident and I needed to serve them, and when I was done I saw that the spilled coffee had been cleaned up, but Levi and Eren were no where in sight.

~~~KMD~~~

The next day Levi came into the shop with Eren following close behind. They both ordered black coffee and I asked if Hanji had managed to fix Levi's laptop, he growled out a 'no', but he didn't lose anything important, though still Eren looked guilty. He opened his mouth, but Levi told him to go find a seat and that he would pay for the drinks before he could say anything. Eren left reluctantly and sat at the table that Levi was at yesterday.

"What happened yesterday? One minute you were covered in coffee and looking absolutely murderous and next you weren't even there." I asked, handing him two cups of black coffee.

"The little brat wouldn't shut up about buying me a laptop and suit, even though I kept refusing to accept the offer, so I just packed up my stuff and left, but he followed. Eventually, I let him pay half the money for a new laptop and that seemed to be enough for him, but then he asked if I wanted to go out for coffee sometime, and I said that I didn't date kids who couldn't even walk properly." Levi explained as he payed for the cups of coffee, "His reaction was quite amusing, he blushed and shouted about how he was twenty one and wasn't a kid, and how he wasn't asking me out on a date. I agreed anyway, and here we are now."

"Don't you think he's a little young for you? You're thirty five in December."

"It's not a date."

"You gotta admit, he's pretty cute, Levi."

"Nice ass too." My brother muttered, sipping his coffee.

I laughed and sent him on his way, then began wiping down the counter and watched as Eren started up a conversation. Well, Eren talked mostly and Levi listened, nodding and commenting here and there, but he did seem genuinely interested in what ever the younger man was talking about.

At one point, Eren tried to hold his cup by the rim, like Levi always did. He almost dropped it. Almost.

And every day after that the two came into the shop, I only know that because on the days that I'm not working, I still like to come into the shop with Farlan to just hang out and talk about life. The place always smelled like coffee and it was usually quiet, making it the ideal place to relax and unwind.

~~~KMD~~~

A month after Eren started coming to the shop I saw him and Levi kiss for the first time.

They were sat at their usual table, sat in the same chairs they always sat in. Eren was saying something I couldn't hear and Levi was listening intently, elbows on the table, chin resting on joined hands.

Eren stopped talking for a moment, then opened his mouth and closed it again before words could come out. Levi dropped his hands to the table, and leaned forward while saying something.

And then I had a customer and I helped them as quickly as possible before turning my attention back to my big brother and his soon to be boyfriend.

The younger of the two was stuttering something out, face so red it looked like it physically hurt and the older man was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed and looking highly amused at whatever the other was saying.

When Eren was done talking, he looked over at Levi and then quickly looked away, choosing to stare at the table instead. Levi leaned forward and gently lifted Eren's chin with two fingers, he said something and Eren's face turned a shade darker, I didn't even know that was possible. And then Levi was leaning forward again and a gentle kiss was placed on Eren's lips.

I was torn away from the sight by a few customers that had wandered into the shop and again, I helped them as quickly as I could without messing up their orders, then sent them on their way and turned back to the two lovebirds.

They were joined together in a hug and Levi was laughing into Eren's shoulder.

I felt happy for them, I've known Levi for most of my life and I've never seen him so happy before. Levi deserved happiness more than anyone, and I also liked Eren, so I was glad that he was the one that made Levi happy, and Levi was the one who made him happy in return.

The next time I saw them, which just so happened to be the day after, Levi was typing away on his new laptop and Eren was leaning his head against Levi's shoulder, eyes closed, they both had small smiles on their faces.

And Levi spoiled Eren absolutely rotten, he got him everything he wanted and more and the younger man was just so damn happy.

~~~KMD~~~

Four months after Eren started coming into the shop, he received terrible news.

He came into the shop looking half dead, dark circles under his eyes, skin looking a lot paler than usual.

"Everything alright?" I asked when he reached the counter.

"Last night... I..." He squeezed his eyes shut like he was trying to hold back tears.

"You don't have to tell me, I'm not going to force you if you aren't comfortable speaking about it." I said as I began making his black coffee, the same thing he ordered every day.

"No!" He said quickly, "I don't mind, I just..." He trailed off taking out his wallet, but I told him his drink was on the house and he returned it to the back pocket of his jeans.

"Something happen with Levi?"

He shook his head, "Earlier I got a call from the hospital, my mother passed away last night..."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry to hear that." I said, genuinely feeling upset, though I'd only met Carla once. Eren had wanted to introduce her to Levi and me, so he took us to see her at the hospital and we learned that she had cancer. She was a nice woman and never stopped smiling the entire time we were there, which had to have been a few hours, if I remembered correctly.

"It's fine, it's not your fault." He mumbled, taking his coffee, "Actually, I wanted to know if you'd come to her funeral with me next week, she really liked you and I think she'd be happy if you went."

"Of course I'll come, have you told Levi yet?"

"Not yet, I'll tell him when he comes in, I'd rather tell him in person than over the phone."

I just nodded and he left to go to his usual table to wait for Levi and I served more customers.

About ten minutes later, my brother entered the shop and as soon as he saw Eren he rushed over and asked what had happened. The younger man explained and Levi pulled him close, kissed his hair and whispered words of comfort into his ear, and not long after a laugh escaped Eren lips.

I couldn't help but smile at the sight and be slightly amazed at how fast Levi could cheer Eren up after what had just happened.

~~~KMD~~~

Eight months after Eren's first visit, he and Levi had their first fight.

I can't remember what it was about, but I know it was something incredibly stupid. It was just a regular day at the coffee shop, they sat at their usual table and talked quietly, Levi typing away at his laptop. And I watched with a smile inbetween serving customers and wiping down the counter.

And then all of a sudden voices were being raised.

I had to ask them to either keep it down or leave, just doing my job. Levi packed up his things and left, Eren stayed behind with a sour expression on his face, but left soon after.

Nether of them came in the next day, and the shop felt... empty without them, even though most tables were full.

But the day after that, they both came in, both looked like a complete mess, and made up, and things went back to normal quite quickly. I was so relieved, the day before when I had gone to visit Levi, he just wasn't himself, and it kinda scared me to see him look like that.

When they came into the shop the next day, they both had dark bruises on their necks and Levi was looking rather proud of himself, though Eren seemed quite nervous and was constantly looking around the shop.

~~~KMD~~~

A year after Eren started coming to the shop, he and Levi decided to go on holiday together.

They spent one week in Berlin and then another week in Paris, and the coffee shop felt empty the entire time, but it was the first place they visited when they got back.

Some of the other regulars asked how their trip went and the couple was all smiles, though they looked a little tired, which must have been from all the traveling.

As soon as my shift was done, I joined them at their table and asked about their trip. Eren talked enthusiastically, not missing a single detail, Levi sat back and let him, a small smile on his face. "And Levi spent every night writing! I had to physically take his laptop away and turn it off, otherwise he'd stay up all night and wouldn't sleep."

I laughed and turned to Levi, "Aw, Levi! You can't let writing get in the way of your cuddle time with Eren!"

"Tch, it's not my fault, I had a lot of inspiration, ideas were popping into my head left, right and centre and I wanted to write that shit down before I forgot." My brother huffed, crossing his arms.

"Don't worry, Levi, I forgive you for choosing writing over me." Eren placed a kiss on Levi's cheek and patted his head. "Oh yeah! We took a lot of pictures too! Remind to show you sometime, Isabel!"

"Sure, I'd love to see!" I smiled, and then excused myself from the table to let the two lovebirds talk in peace.

~~~KMD~~~

Eighteen months after Eren's first visit to the coffee shop, he moved in with Levi.

They were both really busy, so they couldn't spend much time in the shop, but they still stayed for at least an hour before getting to work moving boxes and stuff.

Eren could barely contain his excitement, and even though Levi hid it well, I could tell he was excited at being able to spend more time with Eren as well.

~~~KMD~~~

Two years after Eren started his daily visits to the coffee shop, Levi proposed.

It wasn't the nicest of days, rain pounded down outside, drenching anyone who dared go out without a coat and umbrella. The coffee shop was filled with people seeking shelter to wait out the storm, and I might have given out too many free drinks, but I felt sorry for the people who had been caught in the rain unprepared, and I also decided to hand out towels for the people who really needed them.

Eren and Levi sat at the same table that they sat at everyday, talking quietly and sipping coffee. My brother was wearing his lover's jacket, since he had gotten caught in the rain and came into the coffee shop cold and wet. He looked adorable sipping from his cup and wearing a jacket that was slightly too big for him, it hung off his shoulders and the sleeves covered his hands.

Levi said something and Eren reached behind himself to get Levi's jacket from the back of his chair. Levi took the jacket and reached into one of the pockets, pulling out a small box.

Levi grinned and got down on one knee and Eren and I gasped at the same time, both surprised.

I couldn't hear them, but I saw the way Levi's lips formed the words 'Will you marry me?'.

Eren just nodded rapidly, unable to speak.

I could feel myself tearing up at the sight, my brother just proposed! He was getting married! "Congratulations!" I called out to them. "I better be invited the wedding!"

They both turned to me, grinning. Eren waved, "You can be the flower girl!"

I grinned back and gave them a thumbs up, "Awesome!"

The wedding was absolutely beautiful, and as soon as everything was over they came straight to the coffee shop, before they had to leave for their honeymoon.

~~~KMD~~~

Forty years after the day Eren spilled coffee all over Levi, they both passed away in their sleep. Eren was sixty. Levi was seventy-four.

It came as a shock to everyone, they were perfectly healthy. It was so sudden, they seemed fine in the coffee shop the day before. I was told that it was just old age, they both passed away peacefully, no pain, no struggle. They just fell asleep and didn't wake up.

I was in charge of organising the funeral, though I had the help of Farlan, Hanji and Erwin, and also Eren's adopted sister and best friend, Mikasa and Armin.

On the day of the funeral, a lot of regulars at the coffee shop who were also close to Eren and Levi showed up. Jean, Marco, Connie, Sasha... it was nice to see them there. Eren and Levi were buried side by side. All kinds of flowers were placed on their graves, but I only left two black mugs that had a pair of overlapping wings on them, both filled with black coffee. The mugs were their favourites and so was the drink.

~~~KMD~~~

The owner of the coffee shop moved away not long after and entrusted the place to me, telling me that even though I was a seventy-year-old woman, I was still the hardest worker that he'd ever had.

It was weird working in there though, like there was something missing and knowing that Levi and Eren wouldn't be stopping by daily to make the place whole again made it worse. I kept looking over to that table and expected to see them chatting away, laughing and just enjoying life, but I was met with nothing and every time it hurt a little more.

I didn't like seeing the table so empty, none of the regulars sat there and new customers just stayed away, so I came up with an idea.

I bought a plaque and had a few paragraphs about Eren and Levi engraved on it, along with something else.

_'This is the table where my big brother, Levi Ackerman, and his husband, Eren Ackerman, once sat. This is the table where they met, the table where Eren spilled his coffee all over Levi, his suit and his laptop. This is the table where they first kissed and said 'I love you' to each other. This is the table where they had their first fight. This table is the first placed they came back to after going on holiday together. This is the table where Levi proposed to Eren. _

_This table, this coffee shop, was the place they came to together every single day, the place they talked over a cup of black coffee and just enjoyed life. This place was a place of many firsts in their relationship and the place they came to every single day of their lives together._

_So why don't you sit here too and drink a nice big cup of black coffee with a loved one? And maybe your relationship will go as well as theirs.' - Isabel Magnolia, Levi's sister, owner of this coffee shop._

And underneath the plaque was a picture of the couple on their wedding day.

I was actually surprised to find that the table was never empty after I put up the plaque. Every time I looked over, their was a couple talking, laughing, drinking black coffee even if they didn't like it. I was even asked to share stories about Eren and Levi, and I ended up talking about my favourite couple for hours until it started getting late, and I was forced to shoo everyone out of the shop so I could clean, close up, and go home.

~~~KMD~~~

**You better not be crying or I'll slap you 'round the face with a picture of a cupcake! Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened! Don't mourn their deaths, celebrate their lives!**

**Anyway I hope you enjoyed and I would love to hear what you think about this Ereri fic with a twist!**

**This is also on deviantART under the name 'chaosangel1111', and ArchiveOfOurOwn under the name 'ChaosAngel1111'**

**/Immediately starts writing another Ereri fic**


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